Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-07-28
SUMMER FEEDING.
A Sensible Plan for EconomizinB Grass and
other Pasturing Crops.

A Sensible Plan for EcOnomizinB Grass and
other Rasturing Crops.
There are several ways of economic
ing grass used as pasture or other pas
turing crops. The great waste of pas
turing is in the tramping of the stock
and in the fouling by the excrement
This loss is a very large item where
land is high in value and where it costa
a large sum to get well set pasture.
In such cases there is large economy In
soiling. This may be done not only
by cutting the fodder and feeding it in
stables and yards. but also by tether-
ing the cows, and with sheep by pro-
viding light movable hurdles or fence
panels, which may be set up or taken
down and removed with great ease.
The movable fences may be used scr
confirming COWS as we'll as well al for
sheep. There are several KINGS OF
them in use.
The cattle of the islands of Jersey and
Guernsey are all tcthered. and it is to
this economical management that the
small farms of those fer tile islands are
able to support a cow on less than an
u.
tensively used in the western parts OF
France, where the farms are small and
vet keep a number of cattle. Small
fields of COLA Ga variety of rape) and
of clover may be seen there, with the
COWS tethered in ranks, each one hav-
ing so many feet of fodder to consume
each day. The cows are secured by
strong leather neck straps. having
rings sewn in them, and chain or
rope with a snaphook at one end and
large ring at the other. The snap
hook is fastened to the ring in
the neck strap. and the large ring is
dropped over the lettering stake. When
feeding down the grass on the lawn
and under the fruit trees in the orchard
the writer has used light chain about
twenty feet long, with swivel in it
and attached to a revolving ring or
clevis in the head of an iron pin,
which is driven into the ground
lettering chains of the same kind.
have been found very useful in feeding
down green clover in the fields, Civ
ing the cows a strip about six or eight
feet wide, in the shape of curve in
front of them, for their meal. There
is some little trouble in placing the
cows, and when ten or twenty are kept
it is better to have movable hurdles for
inclosing them and protecting the crop.
But where a single cow or two or three
are kept this method is quite practica-
BILE and convenient. The best hurdle
is simple panel nine feet long, made
of light narrow boards, just as a board
fence is made, and with upright bars
of the same material. The ends of
the boards project beyond the end bars
about six inches. so that when two arc
placed overlapping, a fence wire ring
can be slipped over these ends and Sc
cure them. Stakes are driven down.
three to each panel. and the panels are
held by them quite firmly by driving
two on one side and one on the other
alternately.
A very good hurdle has been made
of round poles sixteen feet long with
stakes or posts liked in it IN holes bored
through it. thus forming rows of stakes
on both sides about twelve inches
apart the whole length. A second set
is put in crosswise with the first row.
This hurdle is turned over and over az
it is required to advance it. But for
moving a distance it is not SO handy as
the plain board hurdle.
1t is impossible to keep cows or
sheep with economy and profit unless
some provision is made for summer
feeding. and for this purpose the an
nual plants, which grow quickly. are
better than grass. They yield large
product 10 the acre, and may be
changed from one year to another.
And these annual forage crops must be
a considerable dependence also for the
winter feeding as cured fodder.-M. Y
Times.